1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to traffic beacons for land vehicles having a vertically extending signaling body coupled to a holding device and more particularly to an improved locking device for interlocking the signaling body to the base holding device to prevent the decoupling thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Traffic beacons are used at various locations and are used for various purposes to mark and/or to direct the flow of traffic of motorized vehicles. Traffic beacons are particularly useful where a traffic flow must be partitioned off from an oncoming traffic flow without being separated by broad traffic lane strips. In many cases traffic beacons are used at construction sites to redirect traffic flow about the construction site.
In one form of traffic beacon, a plurality of holding devices are interconnected to form a continuous holding device. The plurality of holding devices are connected in such a manner to enable the continuous holding device to follow a straight or a serpentine path. A multiplicity of vertically extending signaling bodies are coupled to the plurality of holding devices to form a continuous series of traffic beacons. Each of the multiplicity of signaling bodies is coupled to the plurality of holding devices by a coupling device.
The coupling devices comprise a transverse slot defined in each of the plurality of holding devices. In addition, the coupling devices comprise plural outwardly protruding flanges extending from each of the multiplicity of signaling bodies. The transverse slots defined in each of the plurality of holding devices were adapted to receive the plural outwardly protruding flanges extending from the signaling body to couple the signaling bodies to the plurality of holding devices.
The traffic beacons are constructed in such a manner that no damage occurs if a vehicle collides with the traffic beacon. The traffic beacons are constructed to allow the traffic beacon to be bent over and run over when a vehicle collides with the traffic beacon. After the collision, the traffic beacons returns to the upright position due to the elasticity of the traffic beacon.
The following U.S. Patents are believed to be representative of the progress, development and achievements of the traffic beacon of the prior art.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,698,150 to C. M. C. Baird discloses a traffic marker comprising a collapsible resilient tube bearing a sign and means for securing and anchoring the tube in horizontal position to a pavement.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,766,073 to M. E. Hartzler et al. discloses a traffic marker construction normally upstanding display portion of inherently flexible material. A base portion is integral with and of the same material as the display portion and having a substantially horizontal under surface for engaging the surface of the pavement. A core of metal is in the base portion and an anchor for engaging the core and securing the marker to the pavement.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,799,448 to Junker discloses a portable traffic marker. The footplate has on its upper side a recess of rectangular or square outline in which the post is inserted. On the post either a portable traffic marker plate is fixed or a portable traffic marker body is fitted. The post has an M profile, the two mutually parallel side segments of which have the same length as each other, which is at least approximately the same as the inside diameter of the recess in the footplate. The two middle segments of the M profile are likewise of the same length and extend from the point of connection with the respective neighboring side segment at least approximately up to the middle of the line joining the free ends of the two side segments of the M profile.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,818 to W. A. Newhart discloses a free-standing traffic directing sign consisting of a base, a panel which fits into a slot in the base, and a breakway mounting assembly including a pin. The breakaway mounting assembly is connected to the base and is designed to retain the panel in the slot. When a predetermined force, such as a vehicle striking the sign, is applied to the panel and transmitted to the mounting assembly, the pin of the mounting assembly breaks allowing the panel to pop out of the slot. A new pin can be used to reassemble the panel and the base.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,168,827 to Junker discloses a signaling device having a signaling body and a holding device. The signaling body is designed as a cornet-like hollow body which has four wall regions adjoining one another in the circumferential direction, of which two diametrically opposite wall regions form the wide sides of the signaling body and of which the other two likewise diametrically opposite wall regions form the narrow sides of the signaling body. The wall regions on the narrow side have the form of a conical shell. The wall regions on the wide side are preferably flat. Between the signaling body and the holding device there is a coupling device. The wall regions on the narrow side have above the foot of the signaling body in each case a recess, which has a certain height and which extends in the circumferential direction up to the transitional point with the neighboring wall region on the wide side. The holding device may be designed as a base plate for adhesively fixing, as a foot plate for setting up or as a foot bearing bar for setting up and arranging in line a plurality of signaling devices.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,197,819 to R. K. Hughes discloses an improved apparatus for attaching a flexible marker shaft to a roadway. The flexible lower part of the marker shaft slides over a mandrel, and into a maker shaft cavity. Locking wedges are positioned in the cavity to surround and support the flexible marker support shaft in the cavity. A locking pin passes through a locking pin hole and locks the wedges and the marker shaft into the marker shaft cavity.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,399 to J. Berger discloses a barricade or barrier for road-warning signs, which utilizes just one vertical, mounting support-pole to which is mounted the road-hazard or road-warning sign, or the like. The single, vertical support-pole is mounted to a base made of a used tire by means of a pair of bracket-arms, with the two bracket-arms being vertically spaced apart and extending transversely to each other. The two bracket-arms are bolted to the used-tire base, with the upper bracket-arm being bolted to the upper, annular surface of the used tire, and with the lower bracket-arm being bolted to the bottom, annular surface of the tire-base, whereby the two bracket-arms sandwich the tire therebetween for a strong, stable mounting of the support-pole secured to the two bracket-arms. The support-pole is removably mounted to the mounting bracket-arms, and itself is modular in construction to allow for easy assembly and disassembly, and to ensure proper mounting of the two bracket-arms to the tire-base. The tire constituting the base is also provided with a series of drain-holes on its bottom surface and also on its annular rim, so that rain water may be drained out from the tire, regardless of the angular orientation of the barricade and its tire-base.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,527,127 to Junker discloses a traffic barrier used in guidance installations having a longitudinal shape and on its upper surface a first part of a coupling device. A second part is provided on a guide body coupling the same to the traffic barrier. On each end the traffic barrier is provided with parts divided from a further coupling device so that the traffic barrier can be coupled to a neighboring traffic barrier in a longitudinal direction. The traffic barrier has a cross-section wherein the outline of the side walls and the upper wall is contiguous with a circumferential curve being at least almost constant in its outline and being substantially convex in its outline but can extend linearly in a side wall area which is adjacent an under side of the barrier until encountering a point of contact of a tangent in the convex area. A step off-set relative to the circumferential curve has been provided in the area of each side wall which off-set in its lower area forms an edge at the circumferential curve and in its upper area is at least almost curved constantly and merges into the circumferential curve.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,630,676 to Junker discloses a marker bump for placement on a traffic lane, particularly for marking a traffic lane when the course of traffic is changed at construction sites or the like. The marker bump comprises links joined in an articulated manner with one another to form a link chain and preferably having a warning color on their upper side. The links are connected with one another over a connecting link, which in each case is hinged on its own pin to the adjacent link. The two links are to be joined to one another in each case having a recess for accommodating the connecting link.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,670,954 to Junker discloses a traffic beacon apparatus having an upper portion comprising a panel member which is attached in an upright position by coupling member to base pedestal. The coupling member is a hollow shell structure formed of an elastic material. The panel member attaches to a top of the coupling member by bolts and barbed projections which are inserted into slots in the top of the coupling member. The coupling member has a flange along a lower perimeter thereof which couples with the base pedestal. The elastic material of the coupling member is more flexible than the panel member that is formed from a relatively stiff material. Apertures are formed in opposing sides of the coupling member to define a bending portion. Sides of the coupling member disposed between the apertures flex and bend upon the traffic beacon being struck by a vehicle. Due to the elastic nature of the coupling member material and the positioning of the apertures, the coupling member permits the panel member to be bent down in a collision and then return to the original upright position.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,950 to Junker discloses an invention concerned with producing a visual guiding effect for guide walls that are difficult to see particularly at dusk and in the dark. According to the invention, the guide arrangement comprises a holder which is to be mounted on the guide wall and is provided with a retaining arm, which is elastically resilient at least in the horizontal direction, and a guide member which is mounted on the retaining arm by a coupling device and is provided on at least one side with a guide face which is clearly visible even in conditions of poor visibility.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,788,405 to J. R. Beard discloses a vertical highway marker having a mounting base, a marker post and a mounting bracket. The mounting bracket secures the marker post to the mounting base. The highway marker includes a flexible region which bends so that the marker post will rotate relative to the mounting base when the marker post is impacted by a vehicle. The mounting base is a low-profile, square rubber pad which may be driven over by a vehicle without disturbing the driver's control of the vehicle. A resilient member is disposed proximate to the flexible region of the highway marker for bending with and stiffening the flexible region. Blocking members extend on forward and rearward sides of the resilient member and the flexible region for limiting a range of bending over which the resilient member bends with the flexible region, such that the stresses within the resilient member are not substantially greater than the yield strength of the resilient member. In a preferred embodiment, two strips of the elastomeric belting are used to provide the forward and rearward blocking members. The blocking members are secured on one end to the mounting base and have opposite ends which extend upward on the forward and rearward sides of the marker post.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,933,095 to Junker discloses a traffic beacon, which can be used as a guiding device, particularly for street traffic, having a top member that is provided with warning or informative signs. The top member flips over when a vehicle drives over it. The lower end of the top member is connected via a tilting joint to a footplate or directly to the street surface. Each tilting joint is provided with a spring-loaded locking device, a first stop holding the top member in the vertical position and a second stop serving as a locking device for the top member in a prone position.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,019,543 to Junker discloses a foot for a traffic beacon, serving as routing device for road traffic. At its lower end, the traffic beacon is coupled detachably with the foot. The traffic beacon, at least in its lower part, consists of a soft, elastic material and, at its lower edge, has a laterally protruding flange, which engages appropriately shaped recesses in the foot. The recesses include clamping jaws bolted to a footplate having inwardly protruding cross-members. Nubs protruding at the underside of the clamping jaws press into the soft elastic material of the flange when the screws are tightened.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,022,168 to Junker discloses an apparatus permitting guiding barriers resting on a street surface in the form of a track to be laterally shifted. The apparatus is fastened to a vehicle, and is moved along, together with the vehicle, in the longitudinal direction of the guiding barriers. The apparatus includes a guide way that has a curved portion extending behind the vehicle, such that a front portion of the guide way is laterally offset from a trailing portion thereof. The guide way has a generally U-shaped cross-section, upright legs of which guide the sides of the guiding barriers passing there through. A blade disposed at the front end of the guide way, initially moves under the first guiding barrier. The first guiding barrier and the subsequent barriers constituting the track are pushed over the guide way, into a position that is offset laterally to the original position, and placed down again on the surface of the street. When the end of the track which is to be shifted is reached by the moving apparatus, the guiding barriers are pulled over the guide way by the previously shifted portion of the track, which has already been brought into its new resting position on the street surface.
Although the traffic beacons of the prior art have obtained considerable success in the marketplace the traffic beacons of the prior art has suffered from certain deficiencies. In some instances, the signaling body would be decoupled from the holding device upon severe impact by a vehicle. Since many traffic beacons are not monitored by visual or electronic means, there was no way of ascertaining the absence of the signaling device. The absence of such a signaling device presents a substantial risk of accident and injury to vehicular traffic.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a locking device for a traffic beacon that interlocks a signaling body coupled to a base holding device of the traffic beacon.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved locking device for a traffic beacon that prevents the decoupling of the signaling body from the base holding device upon severe deflection of the signaling body relative to the base holding device.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved locking device for a traffic beacon that may be readily unlocked to enable the signaling body to be removed from the base holding device of the traffic beacon.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved locking device for a traffic beacon that does not impede the flexing of a coupling resiliently connecting the signaling body to the base holding device of the traffic beacon.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved locking device for a traffic beacon that may be adapted to existing traffic beacons of the prior art.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved locking device for a traffic beacon that is inexpensive to incorporate into existing traffic beacons of the prior art.
The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects of the present invention. These objects should be construed as being merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the invention. Many other beneficial results can be obtained by modifying the invention within the scope of the invention. Accordingly other objects in a full understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the summary of the invention and the detailed description describing the preferred embodiment of the invention.